Democratic National Alliance (DNA) Leader Branville McCartney said yesterday that Amnesty International should "stay out of our business" when it comes to the government's new immigration policy.
"They obviously do not know what is going on here," McCartney told The Nassau Guardian.
"They comment from a distance and not from a reality of what is taking place in our country.
"With all respect, stay out of our business."
On Monday, the international human rights organization alleged that the government's policy is "leading to human rights violations" in The Bahamas.
Other critics are Florida State Representative Daphne Campbell and the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights (RFK Center).
The RFK Center expressed alarm over the "discriminatory use of the new immigration policies in The Bahamas".
However, the government has insisted that there has been no breach of the law and no violation of any individual's constitutional rights sanctioned by the government in the enforcement of its immigrations laws.
Speaking to the international backlash on Monday, Prime Minister Perry Christie said while The Bahamas is attuned to its international obligations, it is doing what is "just", and "what is right".
Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell is expected to travel to Miami on Saturday to address what Christie has called "misinformation".
Mitchell said he will also speak to the CARICOM caucus in Washington, D.C. soon.
Yesterday, McCartney said the DNA has received no reports of the Department of Immigration committing human rights violations, as Amnesty International has alleged.
"We encourage the government to continue carrying out the law when it comes to the immigration laws of the country," said McCartney, a former minister of state for immigration
"They ought to carry them out in a very humane way. The difficulty I am having though is that the problem we have should not have gotten to this stage.
"Had the governments past and present not used the Haitian population, in particular, as political pawns, and in some instances the leaders of those organizations, for their own benefit, we would not be in this position."
In a November 3 statement, the DNA commended the government for "finally taking seriously its responsibility to protect our borders".
The DNA said the Christie administration has taken the first of what will be a series of "difficult steps to securing sustainability for future generations of Bahamians".
"As these efforts continue, the DNA calls for calm from Bahamian citizens and legal residents as immigration officials work to carry out their duties as mandated by law," read the statement.
"We should all refrain from making derogatory and/or negative comments about any group of people on social media or any other forum, but must work along with the government to ensure the success of these new initiatives."
The DNA said the immigration issue should not be politicized or emotionalized.
"Instead, a sound and humane approach, which does not destroy the dignities of our fellow brothers and sisters, particularly children, should be taken to facilitate immigration reform," the statement said.
McCartney said the issues regarding illegal immigration did not occur overnight and it will take a sustained effort on the part of all the relevant authorities and Bahamians to address them.
The new policy requires all non-Bahamians to have passports of their nationalities and evidence that they have permission to live and work in the country.
The Department of Immigration will not issue certificates of identity to non-nationals born in The Bahamas.
The exception to this is when Bahamians need emergency travel or "where in accordance with our international obligations".
The Department of Immigration will not accept first-time applications for residence or work permits from those who have no legal status in The Bahamas.

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